Chandigarh: Haryana has become the first state in north India to introduce single-donor platelets (SDP) for dengue patients in govt hospitals, chief minister Nayab Singh Saini said on Thursday, underlining the state’s efforts to strengthen blood-bank services and healthcare delivery.Saini made the announcement while attending a blood donation camp and the ‘Aashirwad Ka Diya’ programme at Brahma Sarovar in Kurukshetra under the month-long Seva Sankalp Abhiyan. He said platelet centres and blood collection facilities had been strengthened and the state had collected blood units beyond prescribed targets.The CM also flagged off two medical mobile units, each comprising a doctor, staff nurse and pharmacist. The units will provide health check-ups and necessary tests, taking basic healthcare services closer to people, particularly those who may have difficulty accessing hospitals.In a separate announcement, Saini said a new circuit house costing Rs 120 crore would be constructed on the southern side of Brahma Sarovar, giving a further push to tourism infrastructure in Kurukshetra.The programme also saw around 1.25 lakh diyas being illuminated around Brahma Sarovar. Saini urged healthy people to donate blood, describing voluntary donation as an act of service that could save the life of an unknown recipient.Linking blood donation with the Bhagavad Gita’s message of Karma Yoga, Saini said donors often did not know who would eventually receive their blood. “Blood has neither caste nor religion; it is simply a symbol of life,” he said.The CM said the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, continuing till October 17, would include health camps, cleanliness drives, plantation and environmental conservation activities and programmes focused on youth and women. He appealed to citizens and social and religious organisations to participate, saying government schemes could succeed fully only with public participation.Saini also credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 25-year public-service journey with giving a new direction to governance and said the campaign should evolve from a government programme into a people’s movement.BJP state president Dr Archana Gupta, who attended the programme, extended birthday greetings to Modi and said his tenure had focused on development and public welfare.The CM later attended a drone show at Purushottampura Bagh, describing it as a reflection of advances in technology and innovation.
